Despite English’s dominance in Qatar, Arabic remains central to Qatari identity, serving as both a cultural anchor and a challenge to preserve.
As the world marks International Mother Language Day on February 21, the Arabic language stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and identity of the Arab world.
With over 400 million speakers, Arabic’s rich morphology, forming over 12 million words, makes it a vessel of history, science, and identity.
In Qatar, where expatriates make up over 88.4 percent of the population and English is widely spoken, one might think Arabic is fading.
However, despite English’s dominance, Arabic remains central to Qatar’s identity, serving as both a cultural anchor and a challenge to preserve.
This paradox arises not from Arabic’s decline but from the global reach of English. Still, Arabic thrives as the core of national identity, religious tradition, and cultural continuity in Qatari society.
Abdellah Taoufik, an Arabic linguistics researcher and teacher at a Qatari school in Doha, emphasised the centrality of Arabic in Qatar.
“The Arabic language holds a central position in Qatar, serving as the country’s official language and a vessel for national identity,” he told Doha News in an exclusive interview.
Taoufik noted that while English is increasingly prevalent, particularly among the younger generation in higher education and workplaces, many young Qataris maintain a strong connection to Arabic in familial, religious, and cultural contexts.
Qatar’s legal push to protect Arabic: Law No. 7 of 2019
Qatar has undertaken numerous initiatives to strengthen the presence of Arabic.
Because of the high number of expatriates, many signs across Qatar have distorted the Arabic language through literal translations from English and the use of Latin script.
As a response to this, Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a law in 2019 mandating the use of proper Arabic in all official and public communications, including education, advertising, and product labelling. Violations are punishable by a fine of 50,000 Qatari riyals (about $14,000).
The law requires government and private entities to promote Arabic in meetings, discussions, and scientific research while ensuring businesses adopt Arabic names.
It also mandates that Arabic must be the language of instruction in public educational institutions, while private schools must teach Arabic as a core and independent subject within their curricula.
Qatar’s educational efforts to preserve Arabic
Education remains a cornerstone of Qatar’s strategy to preserve Arabic.
The country’s education system integrates both Arabic and English, with Arabic serving as the primary language of instruction in early education.
However, as Taoufik observed, “many students struggle with academic writing at the university level due to the heavy reliance on English in certain academic programmes.”
To address this, Qatar has implemented programmes and competitions aimed at fostering a deeper connection with Arabic.
The “Skilled Proofreader” competition, for instance, encourages students to identify spelling mistakes in public signs and incorrect translations in commercial centres, making the language more engaging and relevant to their daily lives.
One of the most ambitious projects in Qatar’s linguistic landscape is the Doha Historical Dictionary of Arabic.
This monumental work traces the evolution of the Arabic language from its earliest stages to the present, representing the most extensive linguistic project in the Arab world.
AI and Arabic: Shaheen, Farasa, and Fanar
In the digital space, the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) has been at the forefront of preserving the Arabic language by developing AI-based tools such as “Shaheen”, an Arabic text translation platform, and “Farasa”, a natural language processing tool used by global institutions.
Shaheen is a set of advanced, multi-dialect translation systems created by the Arabic Language Technologies team at the Qatar Computing Research Institute.
“It supports text and speech translation and can be tailored for specific sectors,” said Hamdy Mubarak Hussien, Principal Software Engineer at QCRI’s ALT, last year at the launch of the platforms at Qatar Foundation.
These technologies were widely used by news agencies and government organisations in Qatar and around the world, he added.
Additionally, the “Fanar” project, the Arabic Artificial Intelligence Large Language Model (LLM), aligns with Qatar’s National Vision 2030, showcasing the country’s commitment to integrating Arabic into cutting-edge technology.
Inaugurated by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani last year, Fanar’s capabilities extend to assisting students, researchers, and the public by providing accurate information.
In addition to generating high-quality Arabic text, Fanar also facilitates the development of Arabic chatbots and virtual assistants for companies and institutions of all sizes, ensuring culturally appropriate responses.
Challenges amid efforts
According to Taoufik, the lack of motivation among students to learn Arabic compared to foreign languages has been exacerbated by the limited availability of Arabic digital content and the frequent use of colloquial dialects in teaching.
To counter this, educators are employing innovative strategies, such as educational technology, language-based games, and Arabic debate competitions, to rekindle students’ interest in their mother tongue.
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has been a driving force behind many of these initiatives, where she championed bilingualism in international schools, and believed in Arabic as a bridge between the past and the future.
“This measure is essential to protecting the Arabic language, especially in international schools across Arab countries,” she during the International Day of Education last month at Qatar Foundation.
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